HC Deb 03 March 1997 vol 291 cc509-11W
Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when advice or instructions will be issued by the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) to schools in respect of approved uses of the funds allocated under the social deprivation factor. [17672]

Mr. Ancram

Under the local management of schools formula arrangements, it is a matter for the schools to decide and prioritise how they spend their budgets, including their targeting social need allocations. The Department does not specify how any individual elements of school budgets should be spent, but the provision made by any school is always subject to general inspection.

Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will investigate as a matter of urgency the effect of the social deprivation factor on the balance of funding between controlled and maintained primary schools of approximately the same enrolment, with particular reference to schools with enrolments in excess of 150 pupils. [17667]

Mr. Ancram

The Department's targeting social need policy focuses on the targeting of additional resources to schools in terms of social and educational disadvantage, regardless of whether those schools are controlled or maintained. Just over 60 per cent. of such funding

its agencies during the past 12 months, listing by name any such items valued at £5,000 or more, and showing information technology material separately. [17063]

Sir John Wheeler

The information requested in respect of the Northern Ireland Departments and their agencies is as follows for the period 1 January 1996 to 31 January 1997:

allocated under the local management of schools arrangements goes to Catholic maintained schools, and that is a reflection of the additional need in these schools. However targeting social need allocations represent only a small part of the overall school budget and, when all other factors are taken in account, the total per capita allocations to controlled and maintained schools are very similar.

Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is(a) the total allocation in 1996–97 for the five education and library boards in Northern Ireland in respect of the social deprivation factor in their budgets and (b) the amount distributed directly to schools by the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) using a free school meals factor. [17665]

Mr. Ancram

A total of £35,726,893 was allocated to schools by the education and library boards in 1996–97 in respect of targeting social needs.

The Department allocated a total of £1,496,868 to voluntary grammar schools and £563,847 to grant maintained integrated schools in the same year.

Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evidence he has obtained of low educational achievement in respect of each grammar school in receipt of funding determined by reference to social deprivation. [17670]

Mr. Ancram

None. Only 4 per cent. of the targeting social need funds is allocated to grammar schools reflecting the low incidence of social deprivation as measured by the number of pupils entitled to free school meals. All such pupils are eligible for additional support regardless of which schools they attend.

Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the social deprivation factor was first applied to school budgets in Northern Ireland; what steps have been taken to monitor this allocation and assess its cost-effectiveness; and when he will publish the results of the monitoring procedures. [17666]

Mr. Ancram

Targeting social need funding for schools has been an integral part of local management of schools funding arrangements since their introduction in 1991. Under the LMS formula arrangements it is for schools to prioritise how they spend their budgets, including their targeting social need allocations. Schools are responsible to parents for the way in which they spend their resources and provision made for low achieving pupils is also an integral part of the published inspection reports of schools. A recent research project undertaken by the University of Ulster showed that schools are aware of targeting social need allocations and make every effort to use the funds effectively.